Rolling doors for vehicles are well-known and widely implemented. Typically, they comprise a door, rollers mounted to the door and at least one track in which the rollers move. The doors may also comprise a latch or lock mechanism to lock the door in a closed position. In some cases, an interior door handle is not provided. In these cases, the operator may grasp the lock mechanism to move the door. This may lead to operator injury as the lock is not intended or located to be used as a handle, and it may damage the lock mechanism.
It is also known to include a door handle on a rolling door. Often, these are separate structures from the lock mechanisms. Separate door handles and lock mechanisms also typically require two separate steps to use: first the door has to be unlocked with one hand and then the door has to be raised, often with the other hand. In many cases, the door handle is not ideally positioned: it can be too high, too low or off center from the door. This leads to ergonomics that are not ideal for the worker and which can lead to injury. In addition, a separate handle and lock mechanism requires two separate parts to be manufactured, installed and stocked for repair and replacement.
In view of the disadvantages associated with the prior art designs, it would be advantageous to have a single structure that comprised both a door handle and a lock for a rolling door where the handle was ideally located for operator ergonomics.